GOOD MANAGEMENT

Shannon News, 4 March 1927, Page 3

GOOD MANAGEMENT

CARE OP COWS MEANS GOOD RETURNS. FEED ESSENTIAL BUT NOT EVERYTHING. Professor Riddet is industriously prosecuting his investigation into the methods and costs of dairying in South Auckland. One of the farms he recently visited wa s that of Mr. Stokes, of Hautapu. He was .impressed with what he saw of Mr. Stokes, his 50-acre farm and his herd. Professor Riddet expressed the opinion that Mr. Stokes' method of conducting a 50-acre farm —small fields, frequent change of pasture (to give the cows a constant supply of palatable feed), and a liberal top-dress-ing, more nearly approached the Con» tinental demonstration of the effective use of grass lands than anything he had seen. Further that Mr. Stokes' method, or a modification of it. would appear the method that would yet have to come into vogue in South Auckland for the most economical production of milk. Professor Riddet said that he had seen as good pasture on other farms in South Auckland. It therefore seemed to him that the very satisfactory production of Mr Stokes, obtained from his farm was due largely to his careful system of management. The cows are milked at absolutely regular intervals (milking commencing at 5 a.m. and at 5 p.m. and the cows always being milked in the same order), the milk was brought down by hand before putting on the machines, so that if anything was wrong with the udders it was detected at once, and the cows were all well stripped. Again, every cow" was carefully watched. If any cow was noticed to be off her feed she was at once rugged summer or winter, and her udder carefully examined. If any quarter was noticed to be getting hard with chill it was at once massaged with cold water and thoroughly stripped out. It was prompt attention to such matters, having a keen eye for details and taking a real interest in the welfare of the herd that did much to make Mr. Stokes* success. Certainly he made the best use of well-fertilsed grass but the exceptional interect he took in his cows very largely contributed to his success.